Delight in Shakespeare

Beginning with an adapted interactive Shakespeare performance, Guildford Shakespeare Company begin to build the children’s love of this classic playwright.

Working with class teachers, the children develop theatre skills, learn to devise, script, and perform for families and friends, in a unique opportunity to build teamwork and class confidence.

We’ve been taking part in the Shakespeare programme for about five years at Manorfield, and it’s honestly our, probably, our favourite time of the year. The Guildford Shakespeare Company actors are just so enthusiastic and energetic and they relate so beautifully to the children.

My favourite part’s Titania, which I’m playing. The reason why I like her is because she’s a really good role model and she’s really responsible for her reactions and she’s really a nice person.

I feel really excited, happy and nervous about it, but mostly excited because I’ve never done it before, honestly. I’ve really enjoyed it because it’s like a good way to express yourself in what you can do and your abilities.

We’ve really noticed attendance, just really improving. In fact, the last two weeks we’ve had one hundred percent attendance from the class. That’s been a really big plus for us.

Absolutely buzzing every time he comes back. All about his lines, all the, just the acting. And you started to use some of the language at home, just, just practicing and messing around. I said, what are you doing? He said ‘That’s how they spoke in Shakespearean times’

In my teaching practice, I will definitely be taking forward lots of the drama warm up skills that we were taught by the Guildford Shakespeare Company., ways to get the children into their character, moving around the space, feeling a bit more confident on the stage.

Because our child is deaf from a deaf point of view. we do tend to not always go to experiences like that, don’t we? Yeah. But when the actors came into school and it was obvious that Tyler was able to hear everything really well and they were very adaptable to his needs, it definitely means that we will try some of these things, definitely. And go to theatre would be great.

Learning something new has helped me with my reading to pronounce words that are hard for me to pronounce. And because since it’s a different language, there’s new words that I have to learn and it helps me in class with my reading and my writing.